


Heart of the Ocean

by nerdy_bookworm_1998



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Death, Fluff, Guns, Mer! AU, Multi, Violence, soulmate! AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2019-11-27 23:06:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 7,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18200234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdy_bookworm_1998/pseuds/nerdy_bookworm_1998
Summary: When Steve and Bucky save a young woman from being eaten by a school of merpeople they have no idea how much their world is about to be turned upside down





	1. Chapter 1

Deep below the ocean waves in the warm waters of the Mediterranean two figures swim side by side.

"That was some storm last night, I couldn't get a wink of sleep with all the cross-currents," Steve says, running his hands through light blond hair, the perfect counterpoint to his black and grey seal tail.

"Well, I slept like a rock. Hey, do you wanna visit the coral reef to see if there's anything interesting to scavenge from that boat that went down?" Bucky answers, tucking a stray brunet hair back into place behind his ear with the minimal light reflecting off of the iridescent blue scales of his powerful tail.

Steve shrugs with a smile, linking their fingers together. "Sure, sweetheart. Lead the way." 

Steve and Bucky had been together for most of their lives, ever since Bucky had rescued Steve from a shark that wanted to eat him. It came as no surprise to anyone when the two turned out to be mates. Steve was a selkie and Bucky a merman. They were an odd pair, but no one could deny the love between the two.

They had just entered the coral reef when the sounds of jeering merfolk reached their ears. Intrigued, the two slowly swam towards the sound. They reached a small ridge and looked down into the valley. A group of young merfolk were dragging along an unconscious human between them, laughing at how easy it was to capture her. The sight was common enough; merfolk would hunt unsuspecting humans and eat them for dinner. It had been that way for thousands of years and would be so for thousands more. It was only right considering the way humans hunted them in return.

Bucky himself had participated in his own fair share of human hunts, but this was different. Even from the ridge where he and Steve hid, Bucky could see that this girl was no threat. He jumped when Steve's tail touched his own and looked over at his mate. There was a burning fire in Steve's eyes that the merman had not seen in some time. 

"We have to rescue her, she's done nothing wrong," Steve's voice was low but heated while his tail whipped furiously from side to side.

"Steve, I don't know if that's a good idea. Humans are dangerous-" Bucky tries to plead with Steve, but Steve abruptly cuts him off.

"Fine, stay here then, but I'm going to save her," Steve starts to move away, getting ready to charge in. 

Bucky grabs onto his arm and pulls him back to his side with a long-suffering sigh. "Okay, I'll help save her. But we need a plan, and we'll have to act quickly. Here's what we're going to do." Bucky explains his plan while Steve nods, keeping an eye on the group of mers who were moving steadily further away.

"AAAHHHH!" Bucky is nothing but a blur of blue and brown as he charges through the small group of mers, sharp teeth bared in a feral snarl.

Startled, the group drops the unconscious girl and scatters. The largest of them, and clearly not the smartest fish in the school turns on Bucky, getting ready to attack him. Bucky had armed himself with sharp rocks that could serve as knives. The young merman launches himself at the brunet, who easily avoids the attack. They trade a flurry of blows, drawing the others from their hiding places to watch the duel. In all the commotion no one notices Steve swim up to the girl, draw her into his arms and swim her to safety. Once Bucky sees that Steve is out of harm's way, he deals a final blow to the young merman's temple with a hissed, "Never come after my mate again!", before swimming away just as fast as he'd arrived.

If only he knew just how right he was...


	2. Chapter 2

On a small island, there is a beach largely concealed by volcanic rock, with large eroded holes that serve as skylights and lush vegetation, laden with myriads of edible fruits and nuts.

In the middle of the normally still water there is a disturbance; small ripples accompanied by bubbles. Moments later a blond head emerges, swiftly followed by the rest of the strong, lithe form carrying an unconscious young woman in his arms.

Steve moved towards the shore with inhuman speed and grace. He gently lay her down on the sand out of the way of the water gently lapping at the ground beneath. Pressing his fingers tenderly against her wrist, he could feel the weak pulse of blood moving through her veins. Relieved by this discovery, he slowly dragged himself up next to her. With a deep, steadying breath he placed his hands over her chest and pushed down firmly three times before pinching her nose and tipping her head back to blow air into her mouth.

As he pulls away, the girl convulses, water streaming from her nose and mouth. He swiftly turns her on her side so she would not choke on the liquid being expelled from her lungs. Before she can open her eyes, Steve slides back into the water and swims to a rock nearby that is just big enough to hide his body behind but still allow him to watch her.

He watched as her lashes fluttered open and she slowly sat up, taking in her surroundings with wide, doe-like eyes. As she craned her neck to survey what she could see her eyes landed on the blond selkie. She gave a startled "Oh!" of surprise.

She slowly moved closer to the waterline, stopping right where the ocean met the shore. There she sat down and crossed her legs beneath her with a shy smile. "Hello," she croaked out, her voice raspy from the saltwater she had inhaled. "My name is y/n, what's yours?" she asked softly.

Under normal circumstances, Steve might have hidden further behind the rock, but there was something different about this woman, something that made him trust her. "Steve," he replies, slowly inching out above the rock.

"It's nice to meet you, Steve. Are you the one who saved me? Brought me here?" she asks curiously.

Steve could feel heat flooding his cheeks and his lips pulling into a wide smile as he nodded his head vigorously. By now he was half-way unhidden, but if the woman noticed anything odd, she did not comment on it.

"Thank you," she says softly, her lips mirroring his smile.

"You're welcome," he replies. "What do you remember, y/n?" Steve asks, swimming steadily closer, almost as if his body had a mind of its own.

At this, the woman's face clouds over as she tries to stretch her memory. "I was on a boat..." she recalls slowly. "I was on my way home when a storm struck...the waves were rough...I lost my footing and fell into the water...I couldn't figure out which way was up...then there were faces in the water...I was hit over the head...and then everything went black..."

By now Steve was sitting next to her, his tail still in the water, but his torso was uncovered. He slowly reached out to touch her hand. When she did not flinch he gently entwined their fingers. "I'm so sorry..." Steve whispered.

Y/N merely nods, her eyes starting to slip closed from exhaustion and her head drooping. As her head lands on Steve's shoulder, a feral hiss echoes throughout the cavern, startling her wide awake. "What was that?" she asks Steve.

"That is Bucky, he's my mate," Steve says with a tone that's halfway between adoration and exasperated as he looks at the shadowy figure in the water swiftly moving towards them.

"Uh oh," she gulps, feeling complete as if she had just walked out of the frying pan and into the fire.


	3. Chapter 3

Steve and Y/N sat on the beach, watching the dark shape swiftly swimming towards them. Soon a dark head appeared above the water, swiftly followed by a tanned, muscled torso and a powerful blue tail that glittered silver in the light. Y/N tried to pull her hand from Steve's grasp, not wishing to offend his mate, but Steve's grip held firm.

The merman, Bucky, she remembered Steve saying, scowled angrily when he saw their intertwined hands and bared his teeth in a hiss. Y/N cowered into herself as much as she could, looking at her feet in the surf to avoid his eyes.

"Bucky!" Steve said sharply causing the merman to stop hissing at the woman and instead stare at his mate incredulously. Steve stared back in a mix of exasperation and adoration.

"Sorry..." Bucky mumbled as he dragged himself out of the water to snuggle into Steve, his tail covering the blond's grey fur tenderly.

"It's okay," Y/N replies softly before all three of them fell silent, enjoying the sound of distant waves crashing against rock.

After a few minutes, Bucky turns to ask a question, however as he opens his mouth he lets out a startled gasp of pain. Instantly two pairs of eyes, one cerulean blue, the other y/e/c, turn to him in worry. That is when they notice the deep gash in the young merman's side, blood slowly trickling from it in a stream. "Ow," he mutters as he pokes at it.

"Buck, why didn't you tell me you'd gotten hurt?" Steve's voice was a mix of anguish and anger, anguish that his mate had gotten hurt, and anger at whoever had the gall to lay a finger on his Bucky.

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe because I didn't realize I had until now?" Bucky said sarcastically while rolling his eyes.

"That looks really painful," Y/N said causing both men to jump in surprise and Bucky to wince as the movement pulled at his wound; they had not heard her move until she spoke from Bucky's other side. She wanted to reach out and inspect it, but did not want to offend the brunet who had helped rescue her so she refrained. Instead she said, "I don't know much about merfolk, and I don't have any of my usual tools with me, but I do know a fair bit about plants and herbal healing. If you'll allow me, may I bind it for you with a paste that will help with the healing process without leaving scars?" She chewed on her bottom lip pensively as Bucky eyed her with suspicion.

Finally he heaved a sigh and asked, "What would you need?"

Y/N could have jumped for joy, but instead, she tamped down her giddiness to answer him, "I already see most of the herbs I need, but I do require seaweed and fresh water."

"I can get the seaweed, but I don't know where to find the fresh water," Seve said, trying to be helpful.

"The boat I was on, there was a large container of fresh water on it. As far as I could tell, I was just a half-mile north of the coral reefs. I'm not sure if the boat would still be there but it's worth a try," Y/N tells Steve with a smile.

"I know exactly where it is, we were going to explore it this morning before we found you. I'll be back as soon as I can," Steve started pushing himself back into the water when Bucky caught his arm and pulled him in for a searing kiss which had Y/N looking away so she would not intrude on their private moment while heat flooded her cheeks.

Moments later she heard the splash of Steve returning to the water. Bucky cleared his throat before asking conversationally, "Why the freshwater? Why not just use ocean water?"

"Because the salt in the ocean water will burn the wound and cancel out the healing effects of the herbs," y/n explained patiently as she started to get up to gather the herbs she would need.

Bucky waited until she was back with the herbs before asking cautiously, "You mentioned tools earlier, what is it exactly that you do with them?"

"I'm a marine biologist and aquatic veterinarian. I study the ocean and its inhabitants, and I also take care of them when they are sick or injured then release them back into the ocean when they are healthy again," she said with a small smile. Sure many of the people in her life hadn't understood her love and passion for the ocean and didn't think that her job was important, but nothing gave her greater joy than nursing a sick or wounded animal back to health and seeing it swim off into the sunset.

"You don't hurt them?" Bucky asks, trying desperately to mask the hope in his voice. Y/N simply shakes her head.

Now that she had gotten all the herbs she realized that she didn't have a mortar and pestle. She did, however, see a tree bearing coconuts and a longish stone that she could use. She was so intent on picking a coconut that she did not hear Steve's return, nor the sound of him shedding his tail. It was only when she felt his solid, warm chest at her back as he reached up for the very fruit she had been trying to reach that she turned around in shock and...oh, he was completely naked... 

She quickly averted her eyes, taking the coconut from his outstretched hand with a soft "Thank you," before she returned to the beach where Bucky was waiting with a thoroughly amused smirk painting his features.

Steve had managed to find the container she had mentioned and thankfully it was not leaking so she knew that there had not gone any saltwater into it. After breaking open the coconut and scooping out its contents, she meticulously prepared the herbs by mixing them with a small amount of water and coconut flesh and grinding it into a paste with the stone. Then she gently applied it onto the wound and wrapped it tightly with the seaweed while both men watched her work with wonder in their eyes.

They spent the rest of the afternoon trading stories and getting to know one another better after Steve had (thankfully) pulled his tail back on. Once Y/N had fallen asleep on the sand, exhausted from the day's events, Steve and Bucky sat discussing what they would do next. It was clear from the stories the young woman told them that she was alone, without any friends or family nearby that would miss her. They knew that they had to take her back to her home, but they didn't want to leave her side; she had crept into their hearts in less than a day with her kindness and tender heart. Finally, they decided that it was something that they should discuss with her in the morning.

As they lay together on the beach with their tails in the water and Steve cuddled into Bucky's arms Bucky thought to himself that Steve had been right, there was something very special about this girl and he would go to the ends of the earth to protect her, but neither she nor Steve needed to know that just yet. And with that thought, he drifted off to sleep, a smile on his face and peace in his soul.


	4. Chapter 4

When y/n woke the next morning she was slightly disoriented. They must have moved during the night because she remembers Steve and Bucky cuddling together, but now she was sandwiched between their warm bodies. Wiggling out from between them proves more difficult than she had thought, especially with two pairs of strong arms wrapped securely around her waist.

After some more wiggling, she manages to free herself from their grasp and walks into the trees to relieve herself. When she gets back both men are wide awake and looking around frantically, Steve is already halfway out of his tail by the time he spots her. Once she reaches them both hold out their hands for her, pulling her into a warm embrace.

It is quiet for a time until a thought occurs to her. "How is your arm?" Y/N asks Bucky to which he replies by unwinding the seaweed from his arm and revealing the healed skin beneath. She delicately traces her fingers along the muscles, admiring the way that there wasn't even a scar left over. "Wow..." she murmurs in awe.

Bucky clears his throat gruffly, trying to shake off the warmth her touch elicits in his soul. "So, we never asked, where on the mainland do you stay? We should probably take you home, but we can't exactly just swim up to a beach full of humans..." Bucky hisses slightly on the last word, not noticing the hurt look that flashes through the young woman's eyes, nor the way Steve facepalms at his mate's crassness.

Y/N pulls away her hand, shifting further away from Bucky and curls slightly in on herself, fighting to keep her voice even and steady as she stares at the water, "I don't live on the mainland. I have a house on an island about a hundred miles south of the reef where you found me. I am the sole inhabitant unless you count the souls that I rescue and help heal before returning them to their world."

Steve can almost see the girl sinking further into her self and her own mind and his heart breaks for her. He drags himself over to her and wraps his arm around her shoulder, tugging her into his chest. "What Bucky meant was that you probably miss your bed and comforts of home, that's all," he tries to soothe her as Bucky realizes his mistake, his head falling into his hands.

"Well, I do miss coffee and my clothes that aren't stiff with salt," she concedes softly. "But I don't want to say goodbye to either of you, even if I know that I can't ask you to stay..."

"You don't have to ask doll, we'll stay with you as long as you'll let us. You aren't getting rid of us that easily, merman's honor," Bucky jumps in, eager to see her smile again.

Soon enough Bucky and Steve, with Y/N clinging to Steve's back like a little monkey, are cutting through the water like twin speedboats. The island that at first was merely a dot on the horizon grows steadily larger as they approach. There is a small dock with a boat bobbing in the water and a large house right on the edge of the water with large windows and French doors.

Once the water is shallow enough for her to stand, y/n slips from Steve's back and begins walking towards the house. Once they reach the beach Steve slips off his tail and turns to wait for Bucky who is still in the water and looks like he is in enormous pain. Then the look passes and he slowly makes his way out of the water on two shaky, yet very much human legs. Y/n, who had been watching from the front door of her home, quickly averted her eyes and scuttled off inside to find them all clean clothes. This already interesting week just became twice more interesting and it was only Wednesday...


	5. Chapter 5

The past week had been so serene it was like a dream or a fairytale. Steve and Bucky had spent as much time as possible in Y/N's home, watching her cook and take care of the various animals that came to her for help. Seeing the gentle way she worked to cause them as little distress as possible warmed the merman and selkie's hearts. However that morning during breakfast they announced that they had to return to the water for a while. They had made plans to meet some of their friends at the reef nearby to catch up, and they wanted to find some treasures to bring back to her, but she didn't need to know that just yet.

With a heavy heart, y/n bade them both goodbye at the small dock and watched as Bucky went through the painful transition back into a merman while Steve slipped back into his seal tail. They had promised to come back as soon as possible.

Taking advantage of the empty house y/n spent the morning doing the washing and cleaning up. Once all the clothes had dried and been folded and packed away and all the surfaces in the house gleamed like freshly polished abalone she hopped through a shower and dressed in denim shorts and a light cotton shirt. After making an extensive list of all the groceries she would need y/n climbed into the small speedboat tied to the dock and sailed to the mainland.

The sun had long set by the time y/n docked once more, completely exhausted but happy she didn't have to go back in for a while. Using the light provided by the full moon and copious stars she grabbed a few of the bags from the bottom of the boat before disembarking and slowly walking up to her front door.

All the groceries had been brought inside and y/n was contemplating a long hot bath with a glass of wine and the sushi platter she had gotten when there came a loud crash followed by even louder cursing from the door that led to the natural cave where y/n took care of the animals and did most of her research.

With shaking hands, she grabbed the knife from the butcher's block on the kitchen counter and quietly made her way to the door. Taking a deep, steadying breath she swung open the door and flicked on the light only to stumble back when the intruder swung around. 

It was Brock Rumlow, her old business partner. "Y/N," he gasped, clearly not expecting to see her. "You weren't supposed to survive."


	6. Chapter 6

Steve and Bucky swam leisurely to the reef where they had agreed to meet with their friends, even taking the time to hunt a little. Although they didn't like being away from y/n, they reveled in being back in the water. By the time they reach their meetup spot Sam and Natasha are already there, tossing a kelp ball between them.

Natasha had a tail as vibrant as her red hair, the only difference is her tail had had flecks of gold interspersed between the red, while Sam's tail was blue-gray with flecks of green. Both of them smiled widely upon seeing the pair approaching and went to meet them, exchanging hugs before going back to their game, now with two more players.

It felt good to catch up. Especially since they hadn't seen their old pod mates since Nat had given birth to an adorable little boy two years ago. 

Steve and Bucky were smiling and laughing the way they always did, but Natasha, ever observant, could see that they weren't the same and called them out on it. "Alright, what's going on? You look as if half your hearts aren't here," she says as they perch on some soft moss covering coral.

"We found our mate," Bucky says simply as if it's obvious.

"That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you guys! Where are they?" Sam asks, eager to meet his friends' mate.

"She's at home," Bucky says evasively, refusing to meet his friends' eyes.

"She's a human, isn't she?" Nat asks, her eyes narrowed slightly as she calculates all the differences in Bucky and Steve, right down to how they seem more tanned than when she last saw them.

"So what if she is?" Steve bites out defensively, flashing his teeth, they may not be as sharp as Bucky's but they could still do some damage.

"Hey, we aren't judging you. As long as she makes you happy then we're happy for you," Sam jumps in quickly to diffuse the swiftly mounting tension between the group. "So, what's her name?" he asks with a mischievous grin and eyebrow wiggle.

Steve and Bucky visibly melt at the thought of their girl, even if she didn't know she is. "Her name is y/n, and she is...amazing," Bucky sighs out as he and Steve proceed to talk about y/n and her work with marine life.

The light in the reef fades as the sun sets above the waves. Steve and Bucky make plans to meet up with Sam and Nat again soon, promising to bring y/n along to meet them before setting off back to y/n's island. They decide to make a quick stop at an old shipwreck to pick up a few gifts for their girl.

They had just decided on a small treasure chest when a sense of dread crept up their spines. They knew immediately that something was wrong and set off as fast as they could toward home.

When they reached the dock they saw the bottom level of the house was illuminated and straining their ears they could make out a faint scream that was undoubtedly y/n. They turned to their human forms as fast as they could before taking off to the house.

Y/N stood frozen as Brock slowly advanced, pulling a handgun from inside his coat. "You were supposed to go down with the boat, I made sure of that! How the hell did you survive?! It doesn't matter, you won't live to see the next sunrise," Brock sneers nastily as he pulls off the safety.

The click makes jolts y/n back to reality and she ducks just in time for the bullet to hit the wall where her head had been moments before. She lets out a scream, running from the room and slamming the door behind her. She makes a beeline for her bedroom, thinking of the gun she kept in the safe.

Halfway up the stairs, Brock catches up by grabbing her by the ankle. He drags her back down and tosses her across the room, her head cracking against the metal and glass coffee table. She is disoriented enough that she does not notice Brock approaching until he is crouched in front of her, grabbing her by the chin and forcing her to look him in the eye.

"You know, this could all have been avoided if only you had accepted Pierce's offer. Maybe we could have worked out, if only you weren't such a stubborn bitch with a morality complex," he heaves a sigh, shaking his head as if she had disappointed him. "Oh well, you can't have everything in life. Any last words before I put a bullet in your brain?"

"Go to hell," she spits in his face.

Before he can react, a dark shape hurtles over the couch behind y/n and tackles Brock to the floor. It's Bucky, his eyes gone pitch-black and baring his razor-sharp teeth. Steve runs to her side, a feral expression she had never seen adorning his face as he plants himself in front of her.

"WHA-", whatever Brock was going to say is silenced into a soft gurgling noise before his body drops to the ground. Once they are sure he is dead Steve and Bucky round on y/n, their eyes back to normal, as they envelop her in a warm hug while she sobs into their necks.

The passage of time is meaningless to them. They only know that their girl falls asleep as the sky outside begins to lighten in preparation of a new day. They gently pick her up and carry her to her bed, tucking her under the covers between them. They can deal with the body later, right now the only thing they care about is taking care of their mate.


	7. Chapter 7

Once y/n had woken from her slumber and stumbled to the bathroom, Steve and Bucky slipped from the room to drag Brock’s body none too gently down to the beach and hid it in a patch of vegetation by the dock to dispose of later. Then they went back in and wiped the dried blood from the tiles.

By the time they had finished, y/n was walking down the stairs, dressed in fresh denim shorts, white cotton tank top, and a dark blue bikini with flipflops. She smiled warmly at the two men as she made her way to the kitchen, calling out, “What would you like for breakfast, waffles or pancakes?”

Before she can reach the fridge two pairs of arms wrap around her waist. “As delicious as that sounds, why don’t you and Buck take a seat while I make breakfast?” Steve suggests, softly kissing her temple before shooing both of them to the breakfast bar.

“Are you sure?” she can’t help but ask as Bucky pulls her down to sit on his lap, nose nestled against the pulse point in her neck.

“Positive, I’ve been taking notes, so I’m pretty sure I know what I’m doing,” Steve flashes them a charming smile before setting to work on getting the ingredients and implements out for pancakes. By some miracle, and the very watchful eyes of y/n and Bucky, there are three tall stacks of barely edible pancakes placed on the breakfast bar, along with coffee, fruit juice, and toppings for the pancakes.

Once all the food has been devoured and the dishes all cleaned and packed away, y/n leans against the countertop across from the boys. “So, what do you want to do today?”

Steve and Bucky share a look before Bucky answers, “We were going to go into the deep water, I have a few shark friends that would be more than happy to help with disposing of the body…”

Y/n’s head drops into her hands as she mumbles, “I was hoping that it was just a bad dream…” Her shoulders start shaking almost violently as she works to keep her tears silent.

In a flash both men have their arms wrapped tightly around her, hands rubbing soothing circles wherever they can reach as they coo softly, trying to calm her down. It worked surprisingly quick, their voices, soft touches, their very presence acting as a healing balm for her soul. Once calmed down she informs them that she wants to go with to dump Brock’s body, just to give herself peace of mind that he’s really gone. Though they don’t exactly agree, they can’t deny that she has a good point when she offers to take him in the boat so that they don’t have to carry him all the way.

Within the hour they are underway, y/n in the boat with Brock’s body wrapped in a sheet and both boys swimming alongside it. Once they reach the open water Bucky dips beneath the waves to seek out his shark friends while Steve hauls himself onto the boat to slip off his skin and pull on the board shorts they had packed.

It only takes Bucky a few minutes to come back up, this time with 4 great white sharks flanking him. Bucky grins giddily as he pulls himself into the boat. "Doll, I'd like you to meet Flotsam, Jetsam, Riptide, and Alpha," he introduces the sharks. Once he had completed the transition to human, Bucky and Steve unwrap Brock's corpse from the sheet and drag him to the side of the boat. "Bon appetite boys!"Bucky yells before they drop his body into the water, the sharks wasting no time in starting to tear him limb from limb, making the water dark red.

Y/N cannot find it in her to watch and instead turns her gaze to the sky. Bucky and Steve stand on either side of her, their arms wrapped securely around her as a cold wind blows through them.


	8. Chapter 8

Bucky locked eyes with Steve over Y/N's head, wordlessly communicating with his mate that they should do something to cheer up their girl. At first, Steve looked confused. He wondered what could possibly help their girl to feel better. And then it came to him; the forgotten treasure chests!

Slowly coaxing her away from the edge of the boat, they helped her sit down on the small bench before starting the engine and taking off. The roaring of the engine propelling them forward makes it difficult to have a conversation, thus y/n contents herself with sitting next to Steve while Bucky steers the boat.

Once they reached their destination, the middle of nowhere, both men assure her that they would only be a while before turning back to their aquatic forms and diving over the side of the boat.

Below the water, it is an endless stretch of rippling blue currants and the white sand that covers the ocean floor. Hidden beneath the waves lies an impressive shipwreck that once carried Roman sailors across the seas, now in ruin, there is a large hole torn into the hull.

Cautiously Bucky leads the way into the sunken wreck, keeping his sharp eyes out for any hidden dangers. They make it to the cabin where they had first found treasure, there are still large trunks that upon closer inspection contain what must have been thousands of golden coins, precious jewels, carved goblets, fine jewelry, and the crowning glory of it all, a tiara of pearl and diamond.

Sharing a positively giddy grin with Steve, Bucky closes the trunk and picks up the one end while Steve grabs the other. The two of them slowly make their way out of the wreck and back through the open water to the silhouette of the boat above.

They break through the water with triumphant shouts of glee as they push the trunk onto the boat before hauling themselves up. However, their smiles fall from their faces when they find the deck completely empty.

"Y/N? Doll?" Bucky calls out, turning in every direction, hoping to see the woman who had stolen his heart pop out and tell him that it's just a joke.

"Y/N? Sweetheart?" Steve calls out, sounding even more panicked than Bucky as he too scans the horizon in every direction.

However, the only sounds to be heard are the waves lapping at the sides of the boat and their own ragged heartbeats as their veins fill with a sense of dread.

Miles away, just beneath the horizon, sits an impressive yacht with a helicopter on a landing pad. Y/N is just rousing, her head feeling as if it were about to explode. As her eyes flutter open to take in her surroundings the first thing she notices is that she is bound to a rather hard wooden chair but before she can take in much more than that a masculine voice speaks, "She's awake, boss."

A large, barrel-chested man with an oily smile and even oilier hair approaches, looking like a kid at Christmas. "Wonderful, now we can begin," he laughs before directing his attention to the men standing behind her, "Take her below and question her, if she refuses to talk, make her sing."

Dread settles in her stomach as the ropes are untied and she is dragged roughly down a set of stairs. Oh Steve and Bucky, where are you?


	9. Chapter 9

Y/N has no idea how long it's been since she had seen the helicopter on the horizon since they had abducted her from Steve and Bucky. Oh my gosh, Steve and Bucky be so worried about her! Her train of thought is cut short as the bite of metal hits her cheek once more, and the metallic taste of blood fills her mouth.

Spitting out the blood, she glares as best she can at the hulking man in front of her. "Is that all you've got?" she bites out venomously. The only answer she receives is a matching blow to the opposite cheek.

"That's enough," the man from earlier steps into the room. "Hello miss L/N, my name is Alexander Pierce. I believe that you knew my associate, mister Rumlow. He told me a great deal about your work, so I'm hoping that you can help me. You see, I'm looking for a very rare species of fish. One that most people believe are merely myths and legends, but I know differently. You see what makes this particular breed so interesting is that from the waist up they look almost completely human, yet from the waist below, they resemble fish. Fascinating creatures, truly fascinating. Especially when one takes into account how they manage to breathe both above and below water. So you see miss l/n, it would be of the highest value to the scientific community if we would be able to study these creatures in a controlled environment, see what makes them tick. Will you help me bring this gift to the world, or must I ask mister Rollins here to convince you further?" Pierce finishes his speech with what he probably thinks is a winning smile but only makes y/n's skin crawl.

She tilts her head as if considering his offer then smiles. "Go. To. Hell."

Pierce sighs, shaking his head as if she had disappointed him. "Very well then, I suppose we'll have to do this the hard way," he says before walking out while Rollins gets a nasty grin on his features, reaching for one of the knives that lay untouched on the counter behind him.

After several attempts to calm both himself and Steve down, Bucky finally has a moment of clarity where he uses his fine-tuned hearing to search beyond the horizon for any sounds that are out of place. It's not as good as it is in the water, but it's good enough for now. Eventually, he picks up the faintest sounds of beating hearts, human beating hearts.

"Steve!" he yells to get the blond's attention who had been breathing heavily as he tried to ward off the panic settling into his heart. At the sound of his mate's voice Steve's head jerks up so fast he almost got whiplash. "I think I've found her."

"What? Where?" Steve asks, looking around to see if he could spot whatever had made Bucky say that.

"It's faint, but I can hear multiple human heartbeats. That means she was taken from us," Bucky's jaw clenches furiously at the mere thought of someone harming their sweet girl.

"Then we have to get her back! Come on!" Steve makes to slide back into the water but Bucky's hand on his chest stops him.

"Hang on, we have to be smart about this. As much as I want to go charging in, teeth bared, we can't risk whoever took her getting the upper hand. I'd never be able to live with myself if either of you got hurt. So here is what we are going to do." After explaining his plan to Steve, they both take off through the water, Bucky holding on tightly to Steve's hand and pulling him along since he was the faster swimmer.

Once they reach the yacht and pull themselves onto it, both take a moment to change forms. Now with them on two legs they slowly make their way through the yacht, Bucky in the lead and Steve covering his back. The only person they encounter on the upper levels is an older man, standing at the front with a glass in his hand. Bucky quickly snaps his neck and throws him overboard before they slowly make their way below deck.

As they approach the door to the lower decks, the smell of blood grows stronger, settling uncomfortably in their stomachs and making bile rise in their throats. Just as Bucky's hand touches the handle there is a loud gunshot from just beyond the door and the unmistakable thud of a body hitting the floor.


	10. Chapter 10

The sound of a body hitting the floor caused both Steve and Bucky's hearts to jump into their throats, blocking their airways and filling their veins with dread. Bucky grasped the doorhandle firmly and pulled it open, taking the entire door with it. He set the door against the wall, none too gently before rushing into the room with Steve hot on his heels.

What they saw made them stop dead in their tracks. Their precious y/n, tied to a wooden hardback chair. Cuts and bruises adorn her body in a grotesque mosaic. Her beautiful face is puffy and swollen. Her eyes, usually shining with light, are now blank and unfocused. Her hands are shaking uncontrollably as she holds a flare gun out in front of her, pointed at the large body lying motionless on the ground in a pool of blood.

"Y/N," both of them breathe out a sigh of relief at finding their mate alive. Bucky wastes no time in tearing the ropes off as quickly and gently as possible while Steve frantically looks around for anything that can help stop the bleeding of her wounds. Steve spots a large first-aid kit stashed haphazardly into a corner and grabs it while Bucky gently picks up y/n, being extra careful of her wounds as he carries her up the stairs.

Bucky lays her down on a lounge chair in the shade while Steve opens the first-aid kit. He sets about cleaning and dressing her wounds the way he had seen on that youtube video at y/n's house. Once that is done he finds some ointment for her bruises which he applies gently. As he presses his fingers softly to her face, y/n whimpers and scrunches up her eyes and nose.

"It's alright sweetheart, this is going to help, I promise," Steve coos gently as Bucky holds her in his arms, caressing her hair softly. Once she settles down again Steve resumes his feather-light application of the ointment. "Is there something I can get you?" Steve asks when he's done with the ointment, but still determined to take care of her.

"W-water..." Y/N croaks out as she forces her eyes open to take in her surroundings. She realizes that they are still on the yacht, but surprisingly she doesn't feel scared, just tired and at peace. Steve is back with a bottle of cold water that he helps her sip. They spend the next hour catching each other up with what happened since the boys had dived into the water. As she told them everything Pierce had said and Rollins had done, both men but particularly Bucky's grip on her tightened, their eyes hardening, and involuntary hisses escaped their mouths. Once done with their tales, they decided that it would be best to sink the boat and return home.

That was easier said than done, especially with y/n unable to go into the water with her injuries. After some discussion, Bucky very reluctantly let her go and dove into the water to retrieve their boat. With her safely in the smaller boat and Steve standing guard, Bucky set about sabotaging the yacht and letting it sink gently below the waves. He then joined the other two on the smaller vessel, started the engine, set course for home, and steered them off into the sunset.


	11. Epilogue

It is many months later and y/n had healed very well. The only hints that she had ever been injured are the scars leftover from where she had been cut. She, Bucky, and Steve had many long and intense discussions about everything that had happened, and explaining how they were mates, their hearts and souls eternally bonded. She was surprisingly calm and accepting of the fact that she belonged with these men from myth, and that they belonged with her.

Whenever they spent the night in her home on land they all somehow ended up in what y/n referred to as a puppy pile, with her squashed in the middle and both men's arms wrapped securely around her and each other, legs all tangled together.

Especially Bucky, who had always been so wary of humans and anything to do with them, now loved lounging around, watching cooking shows or helping y/n take care of injured animals. But both his and Steve's favorite part of the day was in the evenings when y/n had finished her bath or shower and applied the sweet-smelling lotion that made her skin petal-soft. She would be dressed in pajama shorts and a top as she cuddled with the boys on the bed while they took their time kissing every single one of her scars and uttering words of love and devotion. And in their eyes, y/n always thought, she had truly found the heart of the ocean.


End file.
